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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. season — of the year
  15. rule — government
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rule — a law
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bowl — to roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com